I have heard enough about HD radio, so I saved enough gift certificates, and finally bought this "new" "digital" radio.
when I opened the package from amazon.com. I ordered a white one, but the package box is for the walnut color. i thought that i got lucky, because it costs a little extra for the walnut color. but inside, it is still the white radio. When I turned on the radio, all five preset buttons have already been set to my local radio stations. So obviously, amazon sent me a used radio even though it looks new from outside. and i paid the price for a new radio. there is probably an amazon center close by where i live, that is why somehow all those 5 preset radio stations are all in my local area.
---
If you are thinking about buying a HD radio, don't buy this one. I did my search several times on amazon with different keywords to find what products they have. This one has "digital" in the name, somehow, I thought that it is a HD radio. After all, it costs just as much as a HD radio. It is not. The first thing that I noticed was the usual statics from AM radio stations. I was surprised by that. Then I tried to find a way to tune to those FM sub-stations, I can't find a way to do it. I got to the Sangean's web site, and called them. They told me that this radio is not a HD radio.
so I immediately packed the radio, and sent it back to amazon via UPS.
This unit only has one speaker, even though the FM sound quality is pretty good, but you can buy a pretty good radio with CD player or tape player in one unit for less than $100. And the sound quality might even be better.
And if you really want a good tabletop radio, just add 20 or 30 dollars more, buy yourself a HD radio, from what I read, the sound quality will be far more better. and you can get many more FM stations, too.
Therefore, I rate this radio a 3, it is just too expensive for a plain radio.
Buy it here now!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Sangean WR-2 Digital AM/FM Tabletop Radio, White Review
Posted by Kimmy at 6:39 PM 0 comments
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Sangean ATS-505P FM Stereo/MW/LW/SW PLL Synthesized World Receiver Review
I was looking for a radio that I could take camping with the assumption that I would have difficulty picking up stations, especially out in more remote western regions. I have only purchased one table radio in the past and do not know anything about radios unlike many people reviewing these. I have absolutely no 'professional' background in radios.
I researched on the net for some time and found Sangean continuously mentioned --- not always in the best light, but generally favorable.
I have found that the radio does have a really nice, clean sound. I have a far less expensive table top radio at home, but one that has nice, and larger speakers, than the Sangean. But the Sangean is as good, if not better, sound-wise.
The Sangean also picks up far more stations than my 'average' table radio which was my primary concern. I can't tell you if it's better or worse than other comparably priced radios, just much better than my 'average' home radio.
I do have to agree with some other reviewers that the radio has somewhat of a 'cheap' feel and look. But, the radio does perform as I hoped.
My only other, small negative is that the radio comes without 'feet'. I always have the FM antenane extended, and the radio will not sit up with the weight of that turned to the side. I'm going to have to fabricate something so it sits upright on a flat surface.
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 5:24 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Sangean HDR-1 Table Top HD Radio Receiver Review
The Sangean HDR-1 has great sound, and excellent fit and finish. I ran the radio through its paces and found it did pretty much everything it was supposed to, with one exception; I could not get a radio stations RSS feed to automatically update the time on my unit. If you need is for a handsome radio to fill a 150 sq ft room with high quality music/etc this unit is a good fit. In my area Washington DC, and the promised secret channels are more a smattering than a full on buffet of programming, but I think it's worth the premium. The quality of digital radio is rather good, the radio has a good `voting circuit' that switches between analog or digital depending on which is better.
As for AM, an old friend in the business said it best when stereo AM was all the rage; "great just what we need, two channels of static". The quality is there, but there are other problems with radio station coverage and interference patterns. Sangean spent their money on the FM tuner, and I think they got it right.
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 6:06 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Sangean SG-622 AM/FM 10 Band Shortwave World Band Radio Review
I bought this for my husband to listen to the REDS on the radio and when I received it, it did not pick up the station I needed. I returned it within one week. Waited to get my money placed back on my CC for 3 weeks, finally, I contacted the company. they did not get back with me. I then tried to use the A-Z Gaurantee through Amazon. Finally, Amazon was able to reach the company. They said that they never received the radio. I then forwarded the receipt of shipping from post office where I had returned it, and they still said they would not refund my money. So, needless to say, I have no radio, they still have the money I payed them for the radio and to ship it to me, plus the money I payed out to ship it back to them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WILL NEVER BUY FROM THIS COMPANY AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 7:00 PM 0 comments
Monday, July 27, 2009
Sangean ATS-606AP AM/FM Digital Compact Shortwave World Band Receiver Review
After much research for a small radio that can receive shortwave for an extended overseas trip, I settled on the Sangean 606. I already have a Sony SW7600GR (standard in the industry IMO) but wanted something smaller and less valuable (the Sangean is about 1/2 the size as the Sony).
Initial thoughts were that 1) it was chunkier than I was expecting and 2) the plastic casing seemed cheap.
I've now lived with it for ~2 months and I'm thrilled. Reception for FM and AM is on par with the larger and more expensive Sony and it is marginally easier to use. I also prefer the sound of the Sangean over the Sony (NPR talk radio mostly). With automatic station setting, fine tuning, alarm, light, etc., it is an ideal travel radio. Other nice features at this price point is the protective case, SW reel antenna, and AC adapter (not included with the Sony!). I've used it daily for ~2 months on the same set of batteries.
If I were doing a lot of shortwave listening the Sony would still be preferred, and the quality feel of the Sony is 2nd to none.
Biggest complaints? the flimsy up/down tuning buttons and that Amazon suggests buying an additional antenna that already comes with the radio.
Full disclosure- this is my 4th Sangean but that just speaks to how good they are in receiving tricky AM & FM radio stations.
UPDATE: I paid ~$115 for this Sangean and when I bought my Sony SW7600GR it was ~$200. If you can get the Sony for ~$25 more than this Sangean, I'd probably go for it. Just make sure it is the same made in Japan radio it used to be!
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 6:01 PM 0 comments
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Sangean HDT-1 HD Radio Component Tuner Review
After all the mumbo jumbo I read on this HD tuner I really had my doubts despite the low cost. I bought it on Amazon from Egroup. The unit came in perfect shape. I live in the Dallas area. I have the tuner hooked up to an Onkyo 606. I play the tuner through the 7.1 home theater speakers, and the secondary speakers for whole house sound. I use a Logitech Harmony 880 to control the whole system, Sangean an easy addition. The controls are well thought out. The remote is cheap, but stores nicely with my dozen other remotes.
The tuner sounds great and the reception is fantastic compared to normal FM. It is not CD, but the fidelity is several times better than normal FM. The quality leap you get going from FM to FM HD is about like the quality leap you get going from AM to FM.
In Dallas, I could get about 6 FM stations clearly. Now, I can get about 36 FM HD broadcasts clearly. I don't know how many regular FM stations in addition to that. I'm sort of snubbing them. There are about 6 AM HD stations in Dallas. The variety in HD is remarkable also. I have all 20 FM presets filled, plus the 6 AM stations loaded, and the remaining 14 AM presets empty. Who cares. Thank goodness it doesn't lose presets in a power loss. This is the first time ever I could get the local classical station without periodic multipath.
Dallas must be HD Disney World. Signal drop and switching to normal FM wasn't a problem. Look up the HD Radio website and see if you like what HD broadcasts are available in your area before buying.
Optical out on this unit gets you another type of out, but I doubt you could tell the difference over the RCA jacks. At the price the HDT-1 is going for, see Egroup, paying more may not get you enough.
The LCD doesn't turn off. It displays the time in fairly large numbers. It's not as bright as a 4 watt night light, more like an LCD alarm clock. Some people think those are too bright, but not bright enough to keep from tripping over things on the floor at night. The LED on my subwoofer is brighter, the red led on the Sangean is brighter, etc.
Somebody said they had a conventional FM tuner that sounded better than this. Really? What did they pay for it? Looking back at the reviews I read, if the reviewer sounds like a audio snob, or someone with an agenda, quit reading and move on to the next review.
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 5:42 PM 0 comments
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Sangean WFT-1 Internet Radio Component Tuner Review
Like others have said, User Interface is clunky and the manual is skimpy. However if like me you're just interested in listening to a few stations (in my case, I'm in LA and I wanted to get BBC stations), it's perfect once you've setup the presets. Without reading the manual, and with a wired internet connection, I was able to get my stations within 10 minutes of opening the box. Searching for additional stations not listed in their list is not elegant through the UI, but found what I wanted (stations in Melbourne, Australia, and independent stations in the UK). My only gripe with the internet radio part, is that with so many stations out there, it amazes me it only has 10 presets. With the same keys on the remote, they could have made it 99.
This unit can do lots of other things beside internet radio: playing music files from network drives, playing podcasts and FM radio.
Playing music from network drives and playing podcasts worked fine, although it's clunky with such a limited display and I will never use it for this.
The FM radio seems to be a total afterthought - Sangean FM radios are usually pretty decent, but they've stuck a telescopic FM antenna on the back, and no chance of easily plugging in a decent external antenna which limits its quality.
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 6:16 PM 0 comments
Friday, July 24, 2009
Sangean DT-180 AM/FM Band Pocket Radio Review
No complaints about this little machine. I haven't used it much, but the sound has been clear. I've used the supplied headphones on other devices and they seemed pretty clear. I found the 90-minute auto-off to be a double edged sword, listening to sports or NPR on the weekend: saves the battery, but might cut out at a crucial play.
Another thing you might not think of: it's easier to find a white device than a black one when you've tossed it into a laptop or gym bag.
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 6:44 PM 0 comments
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Sangean RS-330 Digital AM/FM Clock Radio Review
My old RS330 died when I knocked it on the floor for the hundreth time. I tried a couple of similar radios and was consistently disappointed. So I was relieved to see that they are still making this wonderful radio. It's ergonomics are perfect. You can tell that a tremendous amount of thought has gone in to its design. The RS330 also has very good reception and sound.
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 6:48 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
SANGEAN WR-11 AM/FM Table Top Radio Review
In my small kitchen, I have only a tiny space for a radio between one cabinet and a microwave oven, and I wanted to find the best sound I could reasonably afford to put there. I also wanted to avoid anything powered by a "vampire" wall-wart transformer; when I turn off the radio, I want it to stop drawing any power. The Sangean WR-11 fills both those needs admirably.
When I first plugged it in, I tuned it to a local traditional-jazz station (WBGO-FM) playing a Brubeck quartet, and I was amazed by how much integrity its little speaker gave the sound of a plucked upright bass! Some had complained about this radio's predecessor, the WR-1, that its bass was too boomy. I don't find any evidence of that at all with the WR-11, except on the one or two FM rock stations that really do a sloppy job of boosting the bass in their equalization; and even in those cases, the WR-11 never really loses control of the sound.
As I primarily use this radio as a receiver for my own home FM transmitter (broadcasting whatever audio stream or MP3 that my computer is playing) these stations aren't much of an issue for me, nor is the fairly pedestrian AM section. On both FM and AM, reception and selectivity are strong, and the tuning dial (with a tuning "eye" LED) is both pleasant to use and accurate in feel.
The only drawback this radio has displayed so far (and the only reason I gave it four stars instead of five, after about half a day's use) is a range on the lower end of the volume control where it seems unable to stick at a particular volume, slipping randomly up and down a bit in volume even though I'm not touching the knob. If I were using this radio in a bedroom, I might be concerned about this -- but in the relatively noisy environs of the kitchen, I'm not likely to have the volume knob in this particular position often.
All in all, at $100, this radio is every bit a match for the Tivoli Model One in a slightly shorter package. At $50 (what I paid for it) it's an absolute steal.
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 6:12 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Sangean DT-120CL A/M / FM Pocket Receiver Review
The reception of this unit is very good, nice and clear and better than my car and it is really light enough for a shirt pocket. I have been looking for a radio primarily to listen to Baseball games, either at the park, at home or out of town. I have purchased every Sony, Coby and Nike model on the market trying to find one that has decent reception. I thought poor reception was just a given in radios this size but this one blows them all out of the water, by the way The Sony models are all terrible
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 6:17 PM 0 comments
Monday, July 20, 2009
Sangean DT-220V AM/FM Stereo Pocket Size Radio with Self-Storage Headphones Review
Nice compact radio that has good battery life and powerfull reception. Would be better if it had back lighting (like Indiglow) instead of side light which does not light up the whole area very well. (Bright on side near light, dim on the opposite). Has TV channel reception, but that will go away with digital TV. (Knew that, however, when I bought it.) Retractable earbuds are nice.
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 6:40 PM 0 comments
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Sangean WFR-1 WIFI Internet Radio Review
I've lived with this Sangean wifi clock radio since it became available and here's what I think:
The sound quality is excellent (for a clock radio, lol). Very rich, not tinny, good bass response, clear and tweakable. Obviously the stereo seperation is nil because the speakers are just inches apart.
Frontier Silicon is the WiFi radio portal for this Sangean model. It's very reliable. It would be nice if they had links to the radio stations on their website though.
The Sangean is of very limited use to me as a "media player", because it will only play MP3 files and WMA files. I have nearly 8000 WAV files on my hard drive which this Sangean will not play and only a handful of MP3 files, so for me it is worthless as a media player.
The price is a major disadvantage... 'nuf said.
Realistically speaking, everything this radio does, your computer can do better, and do it for free. All you need is Realplayer (you can even record radio for up to 8 hours with Realplayer) and Windows Media Player(both free)and an okay set of external speakers. It's fair to compare the sound quality you will get out of this Sangean with average quality external computer speakers I'd say.
If you love radio, check out vtuner.com for a free wifi radio portal. All of the stations are there and in addition there are links to the stations.
I'm not sure if there is software to make a computer funtion as an alarm clock but you can always buy one for [...].
So after all is said and done, the best thing about this radio for me is that it frees me from my computer (but of course,uses bandwidth). If I had it to do over again, I'm not sure what I'd do.
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 5:53 PM 0 comments
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Sangean RCR-2 Digital Atomic Clock Radio with Dual Alarms Review
This is a great alarm clock, with some very nice features, including,
+ The ability to set two separate alarms that go off on specified days of the week,
+ The rock solid time due to the atomic clock synchronization ability,
+ Good, resonant sound from the radio with 7 presets,
+ A good alarm that starts off quiet and gets progressively louder,
+ A bunch of other features, including nap alarms, daylight savings time setting, etc.
This could be the perfect clock radio, except for the flaws:
- A really deficient display that is far too bright at night, and has a very limited range of angles for which it is visible. If they had a better (wide viewing angle) LCD coupled with two separate LED back-lights (e.g., bright green for day and dim red for night), it would be a market leader.
- Lack of automatic gain control (AGC) for the AM stations. The weak stations are nearly inaudible and need to be cranked up, while the strong stations are very loud. With a good AGC, one could cycle through the station presets and have the sound levels roughly the same. This could be rectified with a better radio circuit design. Also, they probably could have spent some more money for a better AM internal antenna.
- Substandard documentation. For example, it explains how to set the time so it not longer syncs to the atomic clock signal out of Colorado. It doesn't explain how to go back to automatic syncing. (Here's how you do it: hold the time button down for about 5 seconds, and the antenna icon will start blinking again.)
Overall, I am quite satisfied with the alarm. I would have been willing to pay $20 more for a better display and AM radio reception as explained above.
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 7:10 PM 0 comments
Friday, July 17, 2009
Sangean HDT-1X HD Radio Component Tuner Review
I wanted to update to HD radio, since my favorite stations were pitching it as well as compare it to my analog tuner. My home theater/hi fi system is composed of separates (pre-amp processor, amp, DAC, etc.) vs. a Receiver. This is a good tuner to add to such a system. It offers both analog outputs (RCA) and a digital output which you can use to connect to a DAC or directly to your receiver's/pre-amp processor's digital input to help improve and/or modify the sound vs. the internal DAC built in the tuner. Whether you listen to a traditional analog tuner or an HD radio tuner, you're still listening to music that has been digitally ripped. A friend of mine who was the Engineering Director at my favorite Los Angeles classical radio station told me that his station now rips music from CD's or LP's, stores them then uploads it to an earth station in the Northern US, where it is transmitted to a satellite back to a mountaintop in L.A., where it's processed again into analog radio wave or digital (HD) radio wave. And yet, they sound excellent. This is how most stations transmit radio today, even my favorite Jazz station. So for someone to make the claim that by listening to an analog tuner, you're getting that "old-fashioned" analog sound isn't quite accurate. Another point to consider is that many radio stations use compression, to keep the volume steady (lower the high volume and raise the lower volume). This drives me nuts when I hear music playing softly, crescendo to a loud volume, only to have the dynamic impact reduced by the compression. Same in reverse when you hear loud music, then the soft part comes on loud. The Sangean unit helps to either reduce this effect or eliminate it since compression takes place in the ripping process. The Sangean HDT-1X outputs both analog and HD, so you can compare them side-by-side.
A site that reviewed the Sangean with substantially more expensive audiophile tuners is (I have to spell it because of the no U R L rules) positive-feedback dot com. Go to positive feedback online archive and look up Issue 30. It's toward the bottom of the Hardware reviews section under Sangean HDT-1 High-Definition Radio Component Tuner. You will be quite surprised at how the Sangean performed in the review.
Things I like about this tuner.
1. It's inexpensive.
2. You get "extra" radio stations in the sub-bands of each station's frequency; e.g. my old classical station who changed formats' broadcasts in HD. There are usually 1 to 3 extra stations in each sub frequency.
3. Sound in the HD is good (based on the stations I listen to); full bodied, quiet background, very dynamic, musical sounding, better than listening to mp3's or ACC's at 256k. Things like cymbals, triangles, and high pitched instruments, a killer for digital to reproduce without digital harshness, are rendered quite well. Voices sound reasonable and full-bodied. Soundstage is convincing, both deep and wider than typical compressed formats (mp3's, AAC's, etc.).
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 6:47 PM 0 comments
Thursday, July 16, 2009
C. Crane Sonido Radio Review
I think that this is a excellent Weather Alert radio because it serves it purpose and is easy to operate. My last Weather Alert radio was just to complicated, even in just using the clock radio features. It was a Reecom and even gave child alerts but programming was a major job. This one gives you just local weather alerts and that is what is needed in an emergency. The AM receiver is very good because it is the first radio that I get numerous stations at my location. I live in a low area about 200 feet below hills on both sides of my house. It does very well. The FM band is excellent. The quality of the sound is between very good and great. The clock radio function is excellent. The only downside is no handle and what I feel is less than satisfactory instructions. Otherwise, if you need a NOAA Weather Alert Radio this is an excellent choice.
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 5:26 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Sangean RCR-5 Digital AM/FM Clock Radio Review
This is a terrific clock radio despite a couple of drawbacks for insomniac listening (knocking 1 star off the rating). Features I require in a clock radio (beyond the obvious) are: earphone jack (my husband isn't interested in listening along with me ;), sleep timer, digital tuning (having to fiddle with station drift would only serve to wake me up more); preset stations (again, the less fiddling in the middle of the night, the better); and dimable display (I keep it just bright enough to read the display at night--this is pretty dim, doesn't disturb sleep). This radio has all that and more; I also like the small size of the radio and amber light of the display.
That said, here's what I dislike: when you press and hold the power-on button to use the sleep timer, the display becomes painfully bright, "only" about 15 seconds, but I find it extremely annoying. I'm working on developing a feel for how long to hold the button down without having to look at the display so I can just keep my eyes closed.
The other thing I dislike: the nap timer button is right next to the power-on/sleep timer button, making it very easy to accidentally hit the nap timer button without realizing it while feeling around for the power button, thus treating yourself and any sleep partner to the alarm a little while later. Ugh. Did that twice, then built a little "A-frame" of card stock & taped it over the nap timer button so I don't hit it by accident again. Note the power/sleep timer button *is* dimly (nicely) illuminated, so the nap timer button can be avoided if you don't mind opening your eyes, lifting your head up to see the power button, and focusing your attention on hitting nothing but the power button.
It's too bad the battery backup isn't good for more than a few minutes; hopefully this won't prove to be a significant problem. I didn't find setting the clock, alarms, or digital presets difficult, though I did need to use the manual to figure it out.
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 6:00 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Sangean WR-2 Digital AM/FM Tabletop Radio, Black Review
I have heard enough about HD radio, so I saved enough gift certificates, and finally bought this "new" "digital" radio.
when I opened the package from amazon.com. I ordered a white one, but the package box is for the walnut color. i thought that i got lucky, because it costs a little extra for the walnut color. but inside, it is still the white radio. When I turned on the radio, all five preset buttons have already been set to my local radio stations. So obviously, amazon sent me a used radio even though it looks new from outside. and i paid the price for a new radio. there is probably an amazon center close by where i live, that is why somehow all those 5 preset radio stations are all in my local area.
---
If you are thinking about buying a HD radio, don't buy this one. I did my search several times on amazon with different keywords to find what products they have. This one has "digital" in the name, somehow, I thought that it is a HD radio. After all, it costs just as much as a HD radio. It is not. The first thing that I noticed was the usual statics from AM radio stations. I was surprised by that. Then I tried to find a way to tune to those FM sub-stations, I can't find a way to do it. I got to the Sangean's web site, and called them. They told me that this radio is not a HD radio.
so I immediately packed the radio, and sent it back to amazon via UPS.
This unit only has one speaker, even though the FM sound quality is pretty good, but you can buy a pretty good radio with CD player or tape player in one unit for less than $100. And the sound quality might even be better.
And if you really want a good tabletop radio, just add 20 or 30 dollars more, buy yourself a HD radio, from what I read, the sound quality will be far more better. and you can get many more FM stations, too.
Therefore, I rate this radio a 3, it is just too expensive for a plain radio.
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 7:03 PM 0 comments
Monday, July 13, 2009
SANGEAN Atomic RCR-3 AM/FM Clock Radio Review
I love this thing. It's neat looking, easy to use and has lots of great features. Best of all, it has a humane wakeup system, which means it starts out very low and gradually increases the volume. The analog face is easy to read at night and the light level adjusts itself. The digital clock sets itself automatically. The digital radio tuner means it is accurate to the station instead of all this fiddling around with knobs like on so many clock radios. Reception is excellent. So far, I'm just thrilled with it.
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 6:02 PM 0 comments
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Sangean WR-1 AM/FM Wooden Cabinet Radio, Walnut Review
I like the old school analog tuner, which is easy to use and pulls in stations really well. The audio quality would be great, except it has waaay to much bass. We have ours on the kitchen counter, and even at moderate volume, the junk on the counter resonates when somebody is just talking on the radio. A great radio should make it sound like people on the radio in the same room as you, not speaking over a PA system at the bottom of a well.
In fact, the bass was so objectionable, it was almost unlistenable. I took a piece of packing tape and put it over the resonance port in the back, which took enough of the edge of the bass to make it marginally acceptable. The only reason I kept this was that it's tuner is so good. I'd avoid this model, or any similar Sangean model unless it had a tone control.
Update: my wife found the bass so objectionable, she went out and bought a cheap clock radio to replace it. To see if the radio could be salvaged, I opened up the box. Aside from the compact transformer based power supply, the radio is contained on two circuit boards, one in front containing mostly radio stuff, one in back containing mostly power amp stuff and back connectors. Amplification duties are handled by a single, unmarked IC in a heatsinked, single inline package. This is possibly a TDA1010 or similar, which is mainly targeted at the car audio market.
There are two issues, I think, that cause the objectionable "boom" sound. The first is the speaker, which is a rather massive 3.5" unit similar to those used in car audio. Replacing this with a different unit might help, either a cheap unit with less bass capability, or a more expensive one with an aftermarket crossover.
The second issue is the cabinet, and some people might find this important for different reasons. The cabinet is not "wood" except by the most liberal definition of the word. It is a wood resin composite -- something like bakelite. There's nothing intrinsically wrong with this, but the material is extremely dense and the cabinet is definitely resonating. Theoretically covering the resonsance port would make this worse, but it seems move the boom to a less objectionable frequency. It might be possible to add weight to the case to shift the resonance lower.
In any case, this case is certainly not "walnut", it is wrapped in tough synthetic sheeting with walnut grain printed onto it. She sheet is actually overlapped on the bottom of the cabinet, and if you actually look at the "wood grain" you see it twists around the corners in ways that wouldn't happen on a real wood cabinet.
That said, the fact that this is not actually wood isn't necessarily a problem, it's a high quality plastic cabinet. In this case it seems poorly matched to the speaker, which is perhaps too much speaker for a cabinet this small. The more I think about this, the more I am convinced the best course of action would be to replace the speaker with a more appropriate one. It's not that the speaker is bad, far from it. It's just too much for this cabinet.
Second update: I soldered in a 220 microfarad non-polarized capacitor in series with the speaker. Given that the speaker is 4 ohms, this should result in a low pass filter with a loss of 3db at 180Hz, 9db at 90Hz, 15db at 45Hz etc. The objectionable "boom" is actually subsonic; you can feel it in other parts of the house. Although the radio is still bass heavy, the boom seems somewhat attenuated. I've ordered a 7.0 mh inductor from Parts Express using Amazon. Putting this in parallel with the speaker should net no noticeable reduction above 200Hz, 3db at around 130 Hz, and 12db/octave thereafter, yielding a 15db reduction at 64Hz, a more dramatic reduction of subsonic boom.
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 6:10 PM 0 comments
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Sangean WFR-20 WiFi Internet Radio & Media Player Review
I recently ordered this internet radio from amazon. The one I received wouldn't turn on, however. First I telephoned the toll free number for Sangean America. The customer service person told me that I could return the defective unit to Sangean or to amazon.com directly (since it was brand new). I went to the "returns" section of amazon's customer service link on the web and was given a prepaid shipping label to put on the box, which I then took to my local UPS Store. Amazon e-mailed me that the replacement radio would be sent by UPS one-day delivery and would arrive the next day (just a day after my first reporting the problem). It did, was very easy to set up and my wife and I are both delighted with the amazingly quick service from amazon and with the radio itself. We used to live in London and were missing BBC Radio 4 and the UK radio station Classics FM. We are so pleased that we plan to order a second WFR-20 so we can have one in the kitchen as well as the bedroom. The sound quality is excellent and the radio is very easy to use. Thanks!Sangean WFR-20 WiFi Internet Radio & Media Player
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 5:36 PM 0 comments
Friday, July 10, 2009
Sangean WR-2 Digital AM/FM Tabletop Radio, Walnut Review
This is a great radio. It has excellent sound considering its speaker size. I have only 3 minor complaints. First, it has has RFI interference when listening on the AM band when florescent lights are on somewhere in the house. Second, there is only 1 alarm setting. Third, the radio displays the station setting playing when the alarm mode is used in radio mode. It would be more useful if the time was displayed. If you hit the Display button to change the display to clock, the radio shuts off. These are minor complaints compared to the pluses. Excellent build quality
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 6:15 PM 0 comments
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Sangean WR-3 AM/FM Digital Table Top Radio Review
Pros:
-slick design and appearance
-extensive feature set
-reasonably good audio quality
Cons:
-most functions accessed via flimsy remote
-USB port does not interface with iPod
-FM reception shoddy in my home
I bought this radio sight-unseen based on the scant reviews on the net. I have no regrets but a few things are worth mentioning.
1. The bulk of stereo functions are accessed from the remote -- I knew this going in but I find it annoying because it seems like the angle at which you point the remote at the stereo has to be just-so in order for it to register. The remote also feels flimsy with those membrane-type of buttons that don't always register the first time.
2. The FM reception on this is considerably worse than my old JVC MX-44 compact component system (RIP), which is what the Sangean is replacing. This was surprising given Sangean's reputation for excellent radio reception. We have this radio sitting on top of a fireplace mantle so I wonder if the proximity to masonry degrades the signal. Disappointing, nonetheless.
3. The USB port doesn't offer any iPod/iPhone compatibility and won't charge those devices, either.
4. Finally, the audio quality is worse than I expected. The bass tends to be muddy and when you use the EQ to adjust it up, it tends to get boomy.
Don't get me wrong -- all this stuff is more nitpicky than anything else. It is a solid stereo that I'm using in a medium-sized room to stream iTunes music via an Airport Express to provide ambient music/noise in our house. And for these purposes it's great.
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 5:55 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Sangean PR-D7 AM/FM Digital Rechargeable Portable Radio Review
I love this radio as it does everything I wanted and then some. I get good reception even with the antenna down. I alway seem to break the antennas on my portable radios. The earphone jack is great and the hardest thing to find on radios now. The best part is being able to set it to turn off automatically after a set time as I like listening while I'm going to sleep. I also like being able to recharge the batteries right in the radio by plugging it in for the day - a great green feature. It has freed up a lot of space on my nightstand and the white color makes it almost invisible.
KatG
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 6:02 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Sangean H201 AM/FM Digital Shower Radio Review
This is a very good shower radio. It has a clock too by the way (although that isn't in any of the online descriptions). It's a bit heavy with the bigger batteries, (C or D cell, I forget which), but that just adds to the solid feel and quality of this radio. We've only had it a couple months, but so far we love it.
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 5:19 PM 0 comments
Monday, July 6, 2009
Sangean DT-180 AM / FM Pocket Receiver Review
Just received the Sangean 3/21/09. Worked fine out of box for 10 mins and then abruptly malfunctioned, producing only static on all bands and stations. Tried various headphones to no avail. Appears to have been a short of some kind. Too bad because it looked and sounded promising. Well designed and the deep base and stereo functions worked as advertised. Sound was good with the supplied headphones. While there was no opportunity for thorough testing, it appeared to be somewhat fragile. Not sure it would have held up to regular transport in a gym bag. Maybe it was just a lemon. Trying a Sony walkman and if that comes up short may give another Sangean model a try, and would lean toward an older version with slightly more heft.
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 6:49 PM 0 comments
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Sangean RCR-22 AM/FM Atomic Clock Radio Review
Works as it should, the only issue is it is way more complicated than it should be.. After all it as just a clock radio... After you figure out how it works it does just what it is supposed to....Keep accurate time, and wake you up in the morning....
All in all recommended for the price it is a good and reasonably attractive clock radio.
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 6:30 PM 0 comments
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Sangean PR-D5 Portable Radio with Digital Tuning and Rds Review
This is like the other Sangean I have, which we love, but instead of +/- audio volume the volume is set by a turn-knob on the side. I found that inconvenient and sloppy, as I use the radio behind and above me in the office -- hard to reach and tend to turn the tuning knob.
AM reception exceptionally good, like the other sangean. But the FM reception is not good, terrible.
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 5:39 PM 0 comments
Friday, July 3, 2009
Sangean DT-200X FM-Stereo/AM Audio Digital Tuning Personal Receiver Review
I looked for almost a year trying to find a portable radio (with ONLY a radio) that could get the same reception as my old one. This is the only radio I have found that is able to find a signal and keep the station coming in strong whether you're walking around your house, or walking around the neighborhood.
Battery life is great, I use this unit twice daily for about 45 mins at a time and I only have to replace the batteries about once every 4 months.
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 7:32 PM 0 comments
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Sangean DT-210 AM/FM Pocket-Size Digital Radio Review
The Sangean DT-210 has so far lived up to my expectations based on previous reviews. I've used it 8 to 10 hours a day this week listening to AM stations as a delivery driver. The reception was very good in and out of my truck. A couple of the features that are very important for my usage are lock (keeping radio on and on the proper station when bumped) and the ability to engage or disengage the 90 minute shut-off. A couple of minor negatives are battery life is more like 20 hours with rechargables and the ear buds aren't the best. Overall I'm am very pleased after one week of heavy use.
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 6:31 PM 0 comments
Sangean DT-400W AM/FM Digital Weather Alert Pocket Radio Review
I wanted to listen to Car Talk on Saturday while mowing the grass. My NPR station is about 70 miles away and the signal can be a bit spotty. I needed something with good sensitivity. Being a ham radio operator I checked all the technical reviews I could find on pocket size radios and the Sangean DT400W looked like the right solution. I was not disappointed. It pulls in the NPR station better than my Grundig YB. The tiny speaker leaves a lot to be desired and the ear buds (which also act as the FM antenna) are serviceable but they are open air. My big Gravely mower is loud so I upgraded to a pair of Sure SE110 isolated earbuds.
Overall the sensitivity is very good, stereo separation is excellent, controls are straight forward and the construction is rugged enough to survive the occasional drop.
Buy it here now!
Posted by Kimmy at 6:48 AM 0 comments